Prime Minister David Cameron said Islamic State fighters sweeping across Syria and Iraq are a direct threat to Britain and the country must use its entire military prowess" to halt their advance.

But the Conservative Party leader said he did not think British troops should be deployed in Iraq, and that he would consider working with Iran to combat the jihadist threat. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Cameron warned that the West faces a "generational struggle".

Cameron argued that security could only be achieved "if they use all their resources - aid, diplomacy and military prowess."